ON THE FOOT 145 



on a subject surely of no such impenetrable difficulty ? 

 or that one humble individual should have it in his 

 power to say, that, after all the exertions of the veterin- 

 ary body, not only has no cure been yet discovered, 

 but no real cause demonstrated, for hy far the most 

 common disease incident to the theme and subject of 

 their inquiries and labours ? As for contracted hoofs, 

 I have already stated my opinion of them in terms 

 which cannot be mistaken. They have no more to 

 do with the cause of lameness than the pen I now hold 

 in my hand. Among Mr Turner's specimens is the 

 most contracted foot I ever saw, for the heels fairly 

 overlap each other, with no appearance of frog. It, 

 however, carried an old horse quite sound to his dying 

 day ; but the navicular bone and joint are as sound 

 as adamant. Had it been in the power of mere out- 

 ward compression to have lamed a horse, this horse 

 must have been lame ; but this I do not believe to 

 be the case, and I will state my reasons why. 



Every part of the internal cavity of the foot which 

 could be affected by pressure, being of an elastic 

 nature, and no joint being within its immediate in- 

 fluence, contraction, from whatever cause it may 

 proceed, cannot come on so rapidly but that the parts 

 would adapt themselves to the change. How fre- 

 quently are hind feet contracted — but when have we 

 heard of lameness as the consequence ? Should 

 contraction arise from the mechanical effect of shoeing, 

 which must be progressive, there is a still slighter chance, 

 from the reason just stated, of disease being produced 

 by it. 



K 



